


Shadows Looming

by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead



Series: Mages and Familiars [14]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: I really needed to write about the Nekoma crew, Iwaizumi is there for like three seconds at the end, M/M, So here they are
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-05-17 11:10:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5867074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead/pseuds/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsukishima and Yamaguchi arrive in a village and find themselves captured by Nekoma Mage Guild.</p>
<p>Or: Who Let a Guy With Hair Like That Be a Guildmaster?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Shadows Meeting

A golden cat with a thick black stripe along its spine watched the two newcomers, yellow eyes unblinking. The cat, along with the fluffy brown dog whose back it was perched on, was a common sight in the village. The dog trotted along behind the newcomers, jostling the cat with its bounding gate.

"Tsukki, that dog has a cat on its back," one of the newcomers noticed, pausing and staring at the animals. The cat's ears twitched in irritation. Then it slid from the dog's back, transforming into a short human with blond hair, dark roots showing at the top of his head.

"He's just a local familiar. Ignore him," the other newcomer replied. The cat-turned-human approached the newcomers.

"I'm Kenma," he said quietly. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I'm Tsukishima, an independent mage," one of them answered. "This is my familiar, Yamaguchi."

"We're not here to cause trouble or anything," the freckled newcomer added earnestly. Kenma eyed them, expression almost disinterested.

"Inuoka," he said. The dog he'd been perched on in his cat form wagged its tail to show it was paying attention. "Tell Kuroo I'll bring them." The dog - undoubtedly another familiar - barked, then bolted down the street. "Follow me, please." Without waiting for a response, Kenma started walking. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi hesitated, and he turned back as though sensing their reservation. "I really don't want to make you. But I will if I have to." He kept walking, and this time, they followed.

Kenma led them to a small Guild Hall tucked between a tavern and a weapons shop. When they stepped inside, they found themselves in an open room with comfortable-looking furniture. An information board took up all of one wall, and there was a short, light-haired man standing in front of it, accompanied by a very tall, thin, silver-haired teenager. The dog from before was bouncing around the short man, tail whipping back and forth. Kenma ignored the trio by the information board, heading to where a man with wild black hair falling into his face was lounging on a couch. The black haired man pulled himself up so he was leaning against the arm of the couch, and Kenma sat at the other end, curling his legs beneath him in a rather catlike manner.

"Tsukishima, huh?" The man's lips curled in amusement as he eyed the newcomers. "You didn't give Kenma any trouble, did you?" Tsukishima frowned, unsure who this was supposed to be. He'd expected to be led to the Guildmaster, but this man had a laid-back air about him, very different from the aura surrounding the Moonlit Shadows Guildmaster. There was no way this smirking, messy-haired man was the Guildmaster here, right? "I'm Kuroo, the Nekoma Guildmaster. Have a seat, and we'll talk." Apparently there was a way. Tsukishima made a disgruntled noise in his throat, but sat on the couch facing the one Kuroo and Kenma were on. Yamaguchi sat beside him, watching the Nekoma mage and familiar nervously. "Calm down, we don't attack injured people," Kuroo sighed, glancing meaningfully at Yamaguchi, who flinched. Tsukishima scowled.

"Kuroo," Kenma murmured. The mage grinned at his familiar and leaned over to ruffle his hair, earning himself an annoyed look.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm focusing," Kuroo assured him before turning back to Tsukishima. "You told Kenma you're an independent mage, but I thought the Tsukishima light mages were all associated with Moonlit Shadows. The surviving ones, anyway," he added slyly. Tsukishima tensed, eyes narrowing.

"What do you want?" the light mage demanded.

"Information, connections, and someone to whip the new guy into shape," Kuroo answered easily. Kenma made a face, scrunching his nose in distaste. "But from you, specifically? I want to know why you aren't with Moonlit Shadows anymore."

"That's none of your business," Tsukishima snapped. He started to get up, but stopped as he realized the trio from the information board and the pair on the couch were all staring at him, their gazes almost feral in their intensity.

"Everything is our business," Kuroo informed him, his manner suddenly not so laid-back. "So you're going to tell us what you know about Moonlit Shadows, and why you left, and anything else that might be interesting. We won't ask so nicely again." Yamaguchi trembled, and Tsukishima rested a hand on his familiar's knee to calm him.

"I thought you said you wouldn't attack injured people," the light mage reminded the Guildmaster.

"Oh, we wouldn't. But you're not injured, so you're fair game. And if your familiar tried to protect you, he'd become fair game, too, despite his injuries," Kuroo replied, his voice soft despite the threat in his words. There was a moment of silence as Tsukishima met the Guildmaster's gaze steadily, weighing the risk of just grabbing Yamaguchi and running.

"Don't," Kenma said quietly, his voice barely audible, but capturing the light mage's attention. Tsukishima glanced from Guildmaster to familiar, then to the trio by the board.

"Fine. I left Moonlit Shadows because I didn't want to be involved in the war they're planning against Karasuno and Aoba Josei," he said.

"I thought Iwaizumi took out enough of their mages when he saved Oikawa's hide that they wouldn't try anything any time soon," Kuroo murmured.

"Well, having Windswept on their side seems to have given the Guildmaster his confidence back," Tsukishima replied, shrugging.

"What does Windswept want with Ushijima?" the Nekoma Guildmaster frowned. "No, wait. Let me guess. Ushijima takes Moonlit Shadows and wipes out Karasuno, and then Michimiya and Windswept will help get rid of Aoba Josei. Does anyone else know about this?"

"A nosy flock of crows and a weird fire mage with striped hair," Tsukishima answered, deciding that he might as well just tell them everything considering how much he'd already said.

"Bokuto and Ukai know? Karasuno and Aoba Josei are already being warned, then," Kuroo mused. "Then we have a little time to decide."

"To decide?" Tsukishima repeated. "Decide what?" Kuroo smirked, relaxing into his initial laid-back posture, as though the tension had completely left the situation.

"Why, to decided what to do with the two of you, of course."


	2. Shadows Gathering

"What do you mean, what to do with us?" Tsukishima growled. This time, he got to his feet, ignoring the warning glare of the yellow-eyed familiar beside Kuroo. The light mage stepped sideways, so he was between the Nekoma members and Yamaguchi.

"Calm down," Kuroo urged, every inch of him broadcasting his lack of tension. "We aren't going to kill you or anything." Tsukishima's fingers clenched into fists, nails digging into his palms.

"We told you what you wanted to know. Just let us go," he snapped.

"And let you wander around and get your familiar injured even more? Absolutely not," Kuroo replied. Tsukishima paused, eyes narrowing suspiciously. Gentle fingers wrapped around his fist, squeezing reassuringly.

"I don't think they're bad people, Tsukki," Yamaguchi murmured. Tsukishima might have believed his familiar if he couldn't feel the tremors in the fingers gripping his hand. Yamaguchi had never been good with confrontation, and Tsukishima knew the freckled familiar was still in pain from the wounds the sentinels had inflicted.

"Doesn't mean we're safe here," Tsukishima replied, meeting Kuroo's gaze and carefully uncurling his fist and shifting his hand so his fingers twined with Yamaguchi's.

"Moonlit Shadows wouldn't dare attack us! I would blast them if they tried!" the silver-haired young man piped up from his place near the information board. The short man beside him elbowed him roughly.

"You don't have good enough aim to be talking about blasting anyone, Lev," he snapped. The silver-haired one, Lev, winced and rubbed his hip, where the blow from his companion had landed.

"Lev, why don't you pay Old Man Nekomata a visit? He can help you work on your water skills. Yaku, why don't you take Inuoka for a walk? Make sure there's no sign of Moonlit Shadows or Windswept around. Pick up Kai and Taketora on your way; they should be headed back by now," Kuroo ordered, his tone as casual as if he hadn't been threatening Tsukishima and Yamaguchi a few minutes ago.

"Nekomata's even meaner than Yaku!" Lev protested. The short one elbowed him again, this time angling his arm so the blow landed above the taller one's hip.

"Are you sure it's okay to leave with them here? The mage looks pretty angry," Yaku pointed out. Kuroo laughed.

"Kenma and I can handle them," the Guildmaster replied. Yaku shrugged, then headed for the door, the fluffy brown dog at his heels and Lev trailing after them, glancing back to Kuroo forlornly as though he would change his mind and not send Lev for more training.

"Why did you send all of your mages away?" Tsukishima asked warily once the trio was out of the building. Kuroo let out an amused huff and stretched his legs out until his feet were in Kenma's lap. The familiar scrunched his nose at the mage and pushed his feet off of his lap.

"Like I told Yaku, we can handle you," Kuroo answered, pouting at Kenma, who ignored him. "But other than that, I wanted to discuss your options with you, and I thought your familiar might be more comfortable with fewer people here." Tsukishima glanced at Yamaguchi, whose fingers were no longer trembling. The light mage sighed and sat beside his familiar once more.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it seems fairly obvious you don't want to go back to Moonlit Shadows. And I don't blame you, after what happened to your family, especially your brother," Kuroo added. Tsukishima tensed, opening his mouth to snap at the Guildmaster, but Kuroo lifted a hand to ward off the light mage's words. "You could wander around as an independent mage, but that seems like a bad plan, since your familiar doesn't seem like the fighting type, and you're a light mage. In terms of brute strength, you're outmatched. You might be able to hold your own if you knew how to conjure solid light illusions and use them properly, but considering how many senior light mages at Moonlit Shadows died in the last battle with Aoba Josei, I doubt you can do that."

"Solid light illusions? That's not something you can just learn," Tsukishima snapped. Kuroo raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't it?" he countered.

"No, it isn't. You need a huge amount of natural power and talent, and years of experience to even think about trying it," Tsukishima replied. "But it has nothing to do with me being an independent mage."

"Maybe you're right. But you if you can't do it, a light mage with a gentle familiar like yours will have a hard time surviving, especially with war brewing between so many Guilds," Kuroo pointed out.

"What, you think I should join another Guild?" Tsukisima snorted. "No way. I'd get drawn into a war sooner or later, and I don't want that."

"You can't keep running forever," the Nekoma mage told him. "Eventually, you'll get tired, or hurt, or something will happen to your familiar, and then you'll have no one to help you. Look, I'm not saying you should join Nekoma - I mean, don't get me wrong, we'd love to have a decent light mage, and your familiar might offset how many rambunctious young people our Guild has - but you shouldn't be alone. Even Bokuto has connections, even if he only uses them when he feels like it."

"Bokuto doesn't have connections. Bokuto has friends. Akaashi has connections," Kenma corrected softly. Kuroo ruffled his familiar's hair cheerfully, much to Kenma's apparent distaste.

"I don't-" Tsukishima's words broke off as Yamaguchi rested a hand on his shoulder.

"I couldn't protect you, Tsukki," he whispered. "I tried, and I just got hurt, and then you had to protect me. Akaashi and his mage had to save us." Tsukishima covered his familiar's hand with his own, sighing.

"Listen to him," Kuroo urged. "At least stay the night and talk it through with each other. If you want to leave in the morning, we won't stop you. But I hope you'll at least take my advice and find a Guild you can trust." Tsukishima glanced at Yamaguchi, who nodded.

"Fine. We'll stay the night. Yamaguchi needs to rest and finish healing anyway," the light mage decided. Kuroo grinned.

"In that case, feel free to explore the Guild Hall. Just don't go into any rooms that have people's names on the door, or you'll be in trouble when everyone gets back," he advised. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. He and Yamaguchi stood and left the room, presumably to explore the Guild Hall. When he was sure they were out of earshot, Kenma turned his yellow eyes on Kuroo.

"So that's Kei?" the familiar murmured. "Akiteru's little brother?" Kuroo nodded, his grin fading as he stared in the direction the pair had gone.

"Yeah." There was a moment of silence.

"So he lost his whole family to Aoba Josei."

"Yeah." Another moment of silence.

"Quit using me as a footrest when you're supposed to be acting like you're a Guildmaster," Kenma said.

"You say that like I'm not actually a Guildmaster," Kuroo protested. Kenma just fixed his solemn gaze on the mage. "Kenma! I'm a Guildmaster!"

"If you say so," the familiar replied, shifting his weight, then leaning towards the mage abruptly. Kuroo, who had been half expecting his, caught him and pulled him onto his lap.

"I promise not to use you as a footrest next time," he promised seriously.

"That's what you said last time," Kenma replied calmly, resting his head on the mage's chest. "But you keep doing it." Kuroo chuckled and stroked his familiar's hair, his lips curving into a more gentle smile than the grin he'd worn earlier.

"I can't reach you when you sit way over there," Kuroo explained. "If you sat closer, I'd be able to cuddle you instead of using you as a footrest." Kenma sighed. Kuroo switched from stroking his hair to gently dragging his nails along the familiar's scalp, earning a soft, low hum that almost sounded like a purr.


	3. Shadows of the Past

"Tsukki?" Yamaguchi studied the mage nervously, unsure how to approach the subject he wanted to ask about.

"Not now, Yamaguchi," Tsukishima replied, sitting on one of the two beds in the room they'd been given to spend the night in. He knew exactly what his familiar wanted to ask about, and he didn't want to discuss it. Yamaguchi frowned and sat beside him instead of on the other bed.

"You don't have to tell me everything, but I need to know a little. Otherwise I won't know how to respond when people bring it up," Yamaguchi replied. Tsukishima laid back on the bed, not looking at his familiar.

"Tadashi, not now." Yamaguchi shifted so he could see the mage's face.

"Then when? I've been your familiar for years, Tsukki, and you've never told me what happened to your family." There was pain in his voice, and Tsukishima almost flinched, almost gave in.

"There's nothing to tell," he insisted. Yamaguchi bit his lip, his freckled face twisting.

"Yes, there is, or that Guildmaster wouldn't have brought it up," the familiar pointed out. Then he sighed and stood. "But if you don't want to tell me, that's your decision, Tsukki. I'm going to the kitchen. You need to eat." Tsukishima stayed where he was, staring up at the ceiling.

He didn't want to talk about it, but now that it had been brought up twice in the same day, he couldn't help thinking about it. About his family. His parents had left him with his brother for the day, since they were the strongest light mages in the Guild. They'd promised to be back for dinner, since beating Aoba Josei would only take a few hours since their Guildmaster didn't have a familiar. Tsukishima Kei had spent the morning playing and practicing his magic with his brother. Tsukishima Akiteru had been determined to be just as strong as their parents, maybe stronger. He'd told Kei that one day, he hoped that if he got strong enough, he could become the next Guildmaster. Kei had believed his brother could do it, had thought his brother was invincible, just like their parents. Then the call came, a sentinel at the door, telling Akiteru he was needed on the battlefield, and Kei would be taken care of with the other children, in the Guild Hall. Akiteru had been excited to be part of his first battle, even if the sentinel wouldn't say why they needed such a young mage, and he'd promised to be back by dinner, with their parents. Kei had believed him.

His family wasn't home for dinner that night. The survivors of the battle were almost all injured, and their Guild's ranks had been decimated. No one would tell Kei - the only remaining Tsukishima light mage - what had happened, but the boy had pieced it together from what he managed to overhear. They'd been winning, had incapacitated all of Aoba Josei's mages, including their Guildmaster, Oikawa. Just as they were about to make the rounds, collecting their own injured, finishing off the enemy mages who wouldn't surrender, something had appeared on the battlefield. Each person Kei overheard talking about it said something different. Some said it was a huge eagle, others said it was a horse, and still others said it was a man. But they all agreed on one thing: the creature was terrifying, and lethal. It had wiped out half of their mages before they could figure out what it even was. The rest realized it had to be some kind of god, to have that much power. Some tried to fight, others ran. The Guildmaster had summoned all light mages to confront the enraged deity, hoping that illusions and flashes of light would distract it enough to give the other mages a chance to attack.

It hadn't worked.

Days later, Kei had overheard a few of the remaining mages whispering about the god that had driven their Guild into defeat. It was some minor war god from a little village, and he was now Oikawa's familiar.

That was when Kei had stopped letting people call him by his first name, and when he'd decided that trying to become stronger was a waste of time. Being the strongest light mages hadn't saved his parents, and wanting to get stronger, being eager to test his power, had gotten his brother killed.

A gentle touch on his cheek brought him out of his thoughts, and Tsukishima blinked up at the freckled face of his familiar. Yamaguchi touched his cheek again, and Tsukishima realized that he was tenderly wiping moisture from the mage's skin. He must have let a few tears fall while he was thinking about his family.

"I brought some food. That short mage from before, Yaku, was cooking. His familiar, Inuoka, was really excited. He kept bouncing around, changing from human to dog form and back every few seconds." Yamaguchi was babbling, not mentioning the fact that Tsukishima had tears on his cheeks, and not bringing up the mage's family again. Instead, he focused on chattering, setting a tray of food on the bed beside Tsukishima.

"Tadashi," the light mage murmured, interrupting him. Yamaguchi paused, watching the mage curiously. "About my family..."

"You don't have to tell me," the familiar replied, trying to mask his disappointment. "I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"You deserve to know," Tsukishima sighed. "And I'd rather tell you myself then have that Guildmaster with the ridiculous hair or one of his people tell you." Yamaguchi sat on the bed, the tray of food between them.

"All right. But you have to eat while you tell me," the familiar agreed, smiling brightly. Tsukishima shook his head, but told him everything. After all, if he couldn't trust Yamaguchi with knowledge of his past, who could he trust?


	4. Shadows Moving

Kuroo frowned to himself as he watched two of his mages and their familiars spar. On one side was Yaku Morisuke, an enchanter skilled enough in redirecting other people's magic that he'd been assigned as Lev's mentor to keep the young mage's power under control, and Yaku's familiar, Inuoka, an excitable by extremely loyal demon, who also happened to be the best tracker Kuroo had ever met. Their sparring partners for the evening were Kai Nobuyuki, also an enchanter, but this one skilled in manipulating emotions on a level rivaled only by demonic familiars, and his familiar Yamamoto, a volitile volcano spirit whose confidence and fondness for intimidating people complimented his master's ability to make the intimidation grow exponentially. Kai and Yaku, who had spent most of the day using their magic to keep an eye on things while they patrolled the village, were focusing on physical combat, their familiars circling, looking for a chance to jump in to assist their mages, while keeping an eye on each other to prevent the other side from getting in first.

"You're thinking about Tsukishima," Kenma murmured from where he sat in front of Kuroo, leaning back against the mage's legs. Kuroo sighed and ran a hand through his messy black hair.

"Yeah, I am. We could use him, Kitten," the Guildmaster sighed. "He would fit in here, where we concentrate on control and subtlety. But no matter how much he tries to run from the war that's coming, he'll get drawn back in. His familiar will make sure of it, no matter how nervous and unassuming little Freckles seems." Kenma made an incredulous noise in his throat, and Kuroo reached down to stroke his hair thoughtfully. "I think Freckles wants his mage to be at peace, with his magic and with his past. And the only way for that to happen is if he confronts it."

"They won't stay here long," Kenma said quietly.

"I know. They're still running, and we're going to be drawn in soon. But maybe they'll come back, once they've stopped running," Kuroo suggested.

"When do we leave?" Kenma asked. Kuroo grinned.

"We haven't been invited to the party yet, Kitten. But with Bokuto involved, it won't be long, I'm sure."

"It'll be good to see Akaashi again," Kenma commented. "He's quiet." Kuroo snickered.

"Our Guild's other familiars are rather rambunctious," he agreed, eyeing Inuoka and Yamamoto, who seemed to have decided to stop waiting for an opening with in their masters' sparring and had shifted to their battle forms, Inuoka a thick-furred brown wolf and Yamamoto a large wolverine, and were chasing each other around the other end of the sparring room. Kenma shuddered.

"Your new mage is rather enthusiastic, too." Kuroo sighed when he recognized that voice, and Kenma made a displeased sound.

"As flattered as I am to have a god pay me a visit, shouldn't you be with your master?" the Guildmaster muttered, glancing sideways at the man who had just appeared beside them.

"I don't have time for your word games, Kuroo," the newcomer replied shortly. "Two of Ukai's crows paid us a visit. They said a light mage from Moonlit Shadows was headed your way."

"Is that right? How interesting," Kuroo mused. "Did the crows also tell you about anything else?"

"We know about the alliance between Moonlit Shadows and Windswept, yes. What we don't know is where they'll attack first," the visitor sighed.

"My people can find out for you," Kuroo offered. "For a price, of course."

"Of course. Are you in, then?"

"We are." Kuroo and the visitor both looked down at Kenma in surprise. The familiar looked up at them, yellow eyes intense. Kuroo grinned.

"We have a couple important connections involved already. We aren't going to let those connections go easily," Kuroo said. "So go back to Oikawa and tell him not to worry. We'll make contact with Karasuno and set up a meeting. Can you bring people with you when you do your little Hall-hopping trick?"

"Not many," the visitor answered. "But I'll bring my Guildmaster. You know how to contact me - which you should have done as soon as you knew about what's going on," he added, eyes narrowed. Kuroo shrugged, posture relaxed.

"I knew the crows were playing messenger pigeon. Why bother saying something myself?" he pointed out. The visitor huffed, then vanished as suddenly as he arrived. Kuroo looked up, noting that the sounds of the sparring match were absent. Yaku was sitting on Kai's back, and Inuoka was carrying a very angry Yamamoto by the scruff of his wolverine neck like a disgruntled stuffed animal. Kuroo chuckled and opened his mouth to congratulate the winners, but an angry voice cut him off.

"That was the war god Iwaizumi," Tsukishima hissed from where he stood in the doorway. Yamaguchi peered around the mage, dark eyes wide.

"Yeah, it was. So what?" Kuroo replied, stretching lazily, as though Tsukishima's irritation was completely groundless. The light mage's eyes narrowed angrily, but Kuroo kept his gaze steady and as innocent as he could.

"What was he doing here?" Tukishima demanded. Kuroo shrugged.

"Asking for help. Which reminds me. Is Lev back from the old man's house yet? I want to talk to everyone," the Guildmaster announced. "Tsukishima, you and your familiar are welcome to tag along."

"Lev was collapsed on a couch in the front room last time I saw him," Yaku replied, standing and offering a hand to help Kai up. Inuoka dropped Yamamoto, who hissed at the other familiar.

"All right. Front room it is," Kuroo decided. Kenma got to his feet, and all six Nekoma members headed for the door, where Tsukishima still stood. The light mage hesitated, then stepped aside. When the others went to the front room and took seats on the couches, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi followed. Yaku jabbed Lev's side to wake him up, and the tall young mage let out a very undignified squawk.

"Wait. This is all there is?" Tsukishima's voice was tinged with disbelief. "Nekoma is known for having the largest information network of any Guild. How are there only seven of you?"

"Well, before last month, there were only six," Kuroo replied. "Lev makes seven."

"Does the old man still count as a member?" asked Inuoka, who had taken on human form and was sitting beside Yaku.

"Technically he and his familiar are retired," Kuroo answered. "But yes, we're a small Guild. Karasuno isn't much bigger. Aoba Josei is fairly small, too."

"Karasuno and Aoba Josei? So we're getting involved?" Kai guessed. "Who's going where?"

"Yaku, Inuoka, and Lev are staying here," Kuroo replied. "Yaku is second in command, as well as Lev's mentor. So until Lev gets a familiar, the three of you will be staying at the Guild Hall to manage our contacts and keep an ear to the ground. Kai, Yamamoto, I want you to poke around. See what you can find. Rustle up some trouble, make it look like we're taking an interest purely because of Tsukishima. He wandered into our territory, didn't tell us anything, we want to know why Moonlit Shadows let the last of the line out of their grip."

"No mention of Bokuto, then?" Kai sighed. Yamamoto, sitting crosslegged on the floor in front of his mage, scowled.

"But mentioning Bokuto always gets people rattled. Expecially after that stunt last week with the ex-familiar," he grumbled.

"And Bokuto was involved in Tsukishima's escape from the sentinels," Kuroo replied. "So even Moonlit Shadows would realize we probably know something if we mention being in contact with Bokuto within the last few days."

"We'll take care of it," Kai promised, nudging Yamamoto. "What will you be doing, Kuroo?" Tsukishima blinked at the mage referring to the Guildmaster so casually. But then, with a Guild this small, maybe there wasn't really a need for formality.

"Kenma and I are going to coordinate with Karasuno and Aoba Josei. Iwaizumi officially requested our involvement, so Oikawa should cooperate. Daichi will be the difficult one," Kuroo answered.

"That's only because you've tried to compete with him every time you've seen him," Kenma muttered. Kuroo gave his familiar and exaggeratedly wounded look.

"I'm guessing you'll get Bokuto in on this, too?" Yaku asked.

"If he isn't already involved, yeah," Kuroo replied. "Now, there's only one loose end left." All seven Nekoma members - including Lev, who had been practically vibrating with excitement - turned their gazes on Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.

"Let me guess. It's what to do with us," Tsukishima grumbled.

"You're free to stay here," Kuroo told him. "Or you can go your own way, or even come with Kenma and I while we head for Karasuno. Just stay away from Moonlit Shadows, and don't tell anyone what we're up to."

"Why would you trust us?" Tsukishima demanded, eyebrows furrowing. "We could go back to Moonlit Shadows and tell them what you're doing."

"If you do that, then I was wrong about you, and you wouldn't fit in here," Kuroo replied. "And if you go off on your own, you might escape this whole war that's coming. But you'll spend your whole life looking over your shoulder." Tsukishima's jaw clenched. "If you stay here, you'll be safe. You can train, find work, but you'll still look over your shoulder."

"So you're telling me to go with you," Tsukishima said flatly.

"No. I'm advising you to. If you come with, you'll have a chance to face what happened to your family, and maybe find a new home. You'll have a chance to help others, and maybe keep other families from being torn apart like yours was. A chance to make sure you don't have to spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder," Kuroo told him, tone indifferent but eyes intent on Tsukishima's face.

"Tsukki," Yamaguchi murmured, resting a hand on the mage's arm. Tsukishima looked down into dark, trusting eyes.

"We'll go with. But we're not getting involved in the war. We're just going to go past Karasuno and Windswept territory. It's the other side of the forest; once we're past them, we'll be far enough from Moonlit Shadows that we won't be found," Tsukishima decided. Kuroo grinned. It wasn't a complete victory, but it was a step in the right direction. Tsukishima was still running, but now he was running in a direction that would bring him closer to the coming conflict, which would give Kuroo an oppurtunity to see if he was right about the freckled familiar.

That's settled, then. We leave in the morning," the Guildmaster announced, turning to the members of his Guild and holding his hand out. The mages and familiars moved closer, placing their hands on top of his. "We will listen from the shadows, move in darkness, and work in the night. We are the body's blood – flow smoothly and circulate oxygen so the brain functions normally. Be safe, and come home to share what you learn." Kenma rolled his eyes, and Lev seemed vaguely confused. Yaku had a determined glint in his eyes, and Kai and Yamamoto were grinning. Inuoka was bouncing excitedly. "All right. Now go to sleep, all of you," Kuroo ordered. The Guild members nodded and dispersed, leaving the Guildmaster and his familiar with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.

"This is the strangest Guild I've ever seen," Tsukishima said.

"We're also the smartest, and the most flexible," Kuroo replied. "You two should sleep, too. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow." Tsukishima grimaced, but led Yamaguchi to the room they were staying in.

"Please don't challenge Daichi to sparring again," Kenma said as soon as they were out of earshot. "I really don't want to have to deal with how grumpy you get when you're injured." Kuroo brought a hand to his chest dramatically.

"Kenma! I would never jeopardize our goal that way!" Yellow eyes met his dark gaze steadily, and Kuroo gave in. "All right, all right. I promise not to poke at Daichi too much, at least until this whole war business is done. Okay?" Kenma sighed and nodded, apparently realizing that was the best he was going to get.


End file.
